


Lute Song

by chem1calwarfare



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: High Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 13:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18262607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chem1calwarfare/pseuds/chem1calwarfare
Summary: Tyler happens upon Jamie's inn and inadvertently changes things for the better.





	Lute Song

"More ale!"

Grab a tankard, fill the tankard, slide it down the bar, repeat. Another grueling day at the inn. But Jamie didn't mind. Grueling days meant good money, after all, and the hard-drinking dwarves brought good business.

He leaned against the stone wall behind the bar and glanced around. That table probably wanted more apple wine, that other table needed to be cleared, he needed to go outside and check on the farmers--his inn grew its own food--and those drunks fighting in the back needed to be broken up.

He sighed loudly.

Someone entered the inn, carrying a lute. The stranger was one Jamie hadn't seen before. He looked odd--he had the muscles and full beard that made him look like a human, but the long limbs and pointed ears of an elf. Of course, no elf could possibly grow a beard like that, but...

"Ooh, it's a half-elf," someone whispered.

Jamie swallowed. He knew half-elves existed--everyone did--but he had never seen one, as they were rare and usually the product of unmarried couples. The stranger, clearly unashamed of his blood, sported short hair that showed off his pointed ears and a mixture of clothing in both the elven and human styles. 

He was beautiful.

The stranger strummed his lute. By now, the conversation in the inn had died down somewhat and people were stealing glances from across the room, watching his long fingers move effortlessly between chords, like a knife through warm butter. 

Jamie was awestruck. Not only had a handsome stranger tread on his land, he could play music, beautiful music. Most of his patrons' only talents lay in drinking, fighting, playing cards and dice, and throwing knives at the walls. This was a welcome change from the norm.

The stranger play a few final notes on his lute, drops of clear water that resonated in the still air. The patrons clapped and whistled, tossing silver pieces his way. He grabbed them out of the air as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"Thank you, friends," he said. "How about another song? This next one is an old favorite of mine."

\------------------------------------

The air had cooled off and crickets were audible through the windows of the inn. Jamie's employees and most of his patrons had either gone home or bedded up at the inn, seated on beds of straw upstairs. Maybe they would play another round of dice or tell stories before they snuffed the candles and went to sleep. Jamie was still hard at work, cleaning up after the customers. The stranger was still playing his lute, albeit quietly.

"How do you do that?" Jamie asked, picking up a plate from the table where the stranger was seated.

"Do what? Cut my hair? Drink spirits? Catch coins?"

"Play the lute like that. How did you become so good at it?" 

"Ah," the stranger said, leaning on his hand, "I would say practice, but that comes second to self-confidence. Performance in particular requires it, but any skill or talent is rooted in the belief in oneself."

"Hm."

"You don't believe me? I am a silver-tongued half-elf, after all. I could be just pretending to be good at the lute." The stranger grinned, showing his bright teeth. His face glowed in the light of the fire that burned welcomingly in the fireplace.

"No, no, it's not that," Jamie stammered, feeling himself blush up to his ears." "I believe you. I guess I'm just not used to the idea of self-confidence."

"You could use some. Especially with people like that in this inn of yours."

"Heh."

"I'm Tyler." A decidedly human name, Jamie thought.

"I'm Jamie."

Tyler pressed a gold piece into Jamie's hand. "I'll be headed upstairs, if it's all right by you. It's too dark to travel now."

"Go ahead. There should be some beds free." 

Tyler leaned close to Jamie's ear. "Sweet dreams, fellow," he whispered.

Jamie blushed radioactively. He had heard stories of smooth-talking half-elves charming everyone in their path, but he didn't realize the stories were true.

\------------------------------------

Jamie lay on his bed, unable to sleep. Tyler's words had resonated with him. But what could Jamie do to better himself? What could his talent be? Jamie's only real talents lay in breaking up fights and cooking low-quality inn food. He wasn't even any good on the farm.

A thought came to him. The farm had been having trouble with bugs lately. His employees were little use against the hungry little bastards, but Jamie had heard tales of clerics devoted to gods of nature who could protect plants from unwanted disease, uninformed gatherers, and such. Perhaps Jamie could enter the service of his god--a harvest god worshipped by farmers and people in rural areas. Perhaps he could stave off the insects and help the crops grow even without a green thumb.

He mulled it over. The nearest temple devoted to his god was only half a day away. He could probably sneak out for a few days per month, study scripture and theology at the temple, and eventually become a cleric. It was a strange plan, and he wasn't sure if it would even work, but he was determined to try. 

\------------------------------------

"Brother Jamie." The voice echoed even in the small temple. It was Jason, another acolyte.

"Hi, Brother Jason," Jamie replied. He liked Jason. He was down-to-earth and humble, like most of the acolytes. Jason lived on a small vegetable farm nearby and often brought crops to the temple to share with his temple-brothers.

"How is the inn?"

"Good so far. Thank you." Jamie shook the rain from his cloak. The shower had hampered his travel somewhat, but he was grateful that the temple wasn't farther away. 

"Fear not the rain, Brother Jamie." Jason seemed serene as they walked to the students' cloister together. "Our Father giveth and taketh away as is best for his children."

"Yes." Jason was always quoting proverbs. It wasn't annoying, though. Jamie kind of appreciated it. He considered it beneficial to his studies.

"And fear not the long, boring lecture about giving and taking that we're about to receive."

"Indeed." Jamie chuckled.

\------------------------------------

"Tyler, I was thinking about what you said that day, and..."

"Yes?" The half-elf's face was framed by dying firelight. He had arrived back at the inn, making his rounds for gold and a soft bed.

"I mean, I like being at the temple and all, and helping on the farm, but...you were right, I only got good at things once I believed in myself."

"I was right. I usually am." He smirked.

"Also, I was wondering..." Jamie swallowed hard. "You're pretty good at music, and you help customers come in, so...if you want to move in for a while, you can, and I won't charge you."

"Come now, Jamie. You can't expect your generosity to work on me. I know I'll be a drain on your gold."

"Yeah, but everyone loves your music. They pay you enough to live for months."

"Oh, tell me something I don't know," Tyler said.

"Well, the offer's on the table."

"I suppose I should accept. Few people are so generous." Tyler leaned in to Jamie's face. "Or so handsome, or so good at cooking."

Jamie blushed up to his hairline.

\------------------------------------

"More ale!"

Jamie filled a tankard without thinking, slid it down the bar automatically, like a well-oiled machine.

Tyler sat on top of his table, playing his lute and singing. A tankard next to him heaped with gold and silver pieces.

The inn's farm hadn't had a bug problem in a couple of years, at least. Or a problem with larger pests, as the dogs Tyler and Jamie raised chased away anything that moved, whether it be wild deer coming to feast on lettuce or a poor chicken that had escaped from its coop.

One of the orphans who lived at the inn tapped Jamie on the shoulder and handed him a basket of eggs. Jamie sent her off to play with a thank you and a pat on the back.

The half-elf picked up his lute and tankard of coins and sauntered over to the bar. "How are things back here?"

"I'm managing," Jamie said in between sliding tankards down the bar.

Tyler kissed him on the cheek and handed him the mug full of money. "I'll be going out for a while. But I'll be back."

"You do that." Jamie sent him off with a smile. Tyler might come and go at the drop of a hat, but in the long run, he was here to stay.


End file.
